King Arthur (2004)

"An engrossing, highly intelligent reimagining of the legend of Arthur.  Kirk Honeycut, The Hollywood Reporter
"By going back to its origins and dusting itself off, the King Arthur story has proved itself to have a very contemporary resonance.  Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
"Impressively made and well acted by an exceedingly attractive cast...  Todd McCarthy, Variety
"An action film without a completely empty head, and these days, that's as rare as Excalibur itself.  Marc Mohan, Portland Oregonian
"...a large-scale...engrossing tale of valiant knights doing valiant deeds.  Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald
"...boasts all the hallmarks of the '50s historic epic...  Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

Editor's Note Combining the historical appeal and epic sequences of films like GLADIATOR and BRAVEHEART, director Antoine Fuqua (TRAINING DAY) and producer Jerry Bruckheimer provide a sleek twist on the King Arthur legend. Arthur (Clive Owen), a brave Roman/British Christian warrior who leads his band of pagan knights on missions for the Empire, must complete one final mission before the knights can earn their freedom from servitude and Arthur can return to Rome. Along the way, however, Arthur realizes that the pullout of the Romans will open the door for a crushing invasion of Britain by the Saxons, and he takes it upon himself to fight with Merlin (Stephen Dillane) and Guinevere (Keira Knightley) for the freedom of the British people. Stunning battle scenes with extensive attention to historical detail rely very little on computer graphics and instead use intricately realistic props, costumes, and scenery. Featuring the largest film set ever built in Ireland, KING ARTHUR features a scale replica of Hadrian's Wall and two complete villages. Haunting music by composer Hans Zimmer completes this story of unselfish heroism, which ultimately provides a satisfying completion to the legend of Arthur and his knights.

	Clive Owen
	Hugh Dancy
	Ioan Gruffudd
	Joel Edgerton
	Keira Knightley
	Mads Mikkelsen
	Ray Stevenson
	Ray Winstone
	Stellan Skarsgard
	Antoine Fuqua - Director
	Conrad Buff - Editor
	Dan Weil - Production Designer
	David Franzoni - Screenplay
	Jamie Pearson - Editor
	Jerry Bruckheimer - Producer
	Slawomir Idziak - Cinematographer
	Conrad Buff, IV - Editor
	David Franzoni - Writer
	Hans Zimmer - Original Music By
	Maire Brennan - Original Music By
	Ned Dowd - Executive Producer
	Yann Biquand, et. al. - Art Director

Entertainment Weekly
"[Knightley] advances her sylph-of-the-moment winning streak..." 07/16/2004 p.52-3

Rolling Stone 5 of 10
For a lavish Jerry Bruckheimer production that claims to get at the dirty truth behind the legend of - Peter Travers

Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10
This new "King Arthur" tells a story with uncanny parallels to current events in Iraq. The imperialists from Rome enter England intent on overthrowing the tyrannical Saxons, and find allies in the brave Woads. "You -- all of you -- were free from your first breath!" Arthur informs his charges and future subjects, anticipating by a millennium or so the notion that all men are born free, and overlooking the detail that his knights have been pressed into involuntary servitude...The movie is darker and the weather chillier than in the usual Arthurian movie. There is a round table, but the knights scarcely find time to sit down at it. Guinevere is not a damsel in potential distress, but seems to have been cloned from Brigitte Nielsen in "Red Sonja"...That the movie works is because of the considerable production qualities and the charisma of the actors, who bring more interest to the characters than they deserve. - Roger Ebert

Reel.com 6 of 10
What's with all the revisionist mythology at the movies these days? First, Wolfgang Petersen strips the gods from Troy, his lumbering adaptation of Homer's The Iliad. Now, director Antoine Fuqua and Gladiator screenwriter David Franzioni remove the magic--both literally and cinematically--from King Arthur, their dramatically turgid and visually drab version of Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte de Arthur. Although Fuqua (Training Day) stages the battle scenes fairly well, this ponderous and exposition-heavy would-be epic never fully engages you, either emotionally or viscerally, like John Boorman's vastly superior Excalibur (1981). While that film is a trifle overwrought, Boorman's extravagantly imagined version of the Arthurian legend has the narrative sweep and romantic pathos sorely lacking from King Arthur. - Tim Knight